About this blog

My name is Bill Hirt and I'm a candidate to be a Representative from the 48th district in the Washington State legislature. My candidacy stems from concern the legislature is not properly overseeing the WSDOT and Sound Transit East Link light rail program. I believe East Link will be a disaster for the entire eastside. ST will spend 5-6 billion on a transportation project that will increase, not decrease cross-lake congestion, violates federal environmental laws, devastates a beautiful part of residential Bellevue, creates havoc in Bellevue's central business district, and does absolutely nothing to alleviate congestion on 1-90 and 405. The only winners with East Link are the Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington and their labor unions.

This blog is an attempt to get more public awareness of these concerns. Many of the articles are from 3 years of failed efforts to persuade the Bellevue City Council, King County Council, east side legislators, media, and other organizations to stop this debacle. I have no illusions about being elected. My hope is voters from throughout the east side will read of my candidacy and visit this Web site. If they don't find them persuasive I know at least I tried.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

King County Metro/Sound Transit Comparison

I’ve never understood why there are two separate
organizations dealing with public transit in our area.What is clear is the difference between
how the two agencies fund their operations.Metro’s 2013 budget explains how they plan to spend their
projected $639 million income for the year.In 2012 they provided about 120 million passenger trips that
included dial-a-ride-transit and Access service for people with disabilities
who cannot use regular bus service.

In 2013, fare box revenue and sales tax will make up 77% (23
and 54 respectively) of Metro’s income.However, the anticipated loss in income from sales tax
due to the slower economy and the phase out of the $20 “congestion reduction
charge” for license plate tabs is projected to require a 17 % reduction in
service in the near future.The
only way to avoid the cuts in service is to find additional funds from some
source.

Sound Transit, however, is apparently under no obligation to
match projected expenses with income.Their 2013 budget of$1.1
billion exceeds their projected income by $264 million.The far box revenue from the 28.4
million riders they anticipate in 2013 makes up less than 5% of the budgeted
expenditures.Part of the problem
is that while Metro helps those who cannot use regular bus service, ST has the
Sounder program for those who prefer trains to buses. It's not clear what the
extra service costs Metro but the limited ridership and high Sounder Train
operating costs require ST to provide a $20,000 a year subsidy for each Everett Sounder rider (see 6/12/12 post).

Even this subsidy pales in comparison with the fact ST, in
2013, plans to spend $92.4 million expanding a Sounder Rail system that already
costs nearly $40 million to operate, and has projected annual ridership of only 2.8
million, slightly more than the 2.4 million riders from a single express bus
route, ST550.(The route ST will probably replace with far more expensive and far less accessible East Link light rail.)

The $264 million deficit in 2013 will increase dramatically
when the $300 million spent in 2013 on Central Link extensions expands to the
nearly $2 billion required to complete the nearly $20 billion Prop 1 package
over the next ten years.The end
result will be a financial “black hole” from the large construction debt and
huge increases in subsidies to operate the longer routes (6/21/13 Post).

Allowing both organizations to continue to operate in this
fashion is truly unconscionable.

About Me

My last elective position was class president for 25 “class of ’57” seniors in Armstrong, Iowa. I received an MS in engineering at ISU, worked at Boeing for 36 years before retiring in 1998. My wife and I moved into our current home in Bellevue in 1967 where we raised two daughters. Three years of unsuccessful attempts to persuade BCC to block EL are available on “extended session” meeting minutes. Copies of many were sent to all the media outlets, legislators, and others to no avail. I’m hoping this Web site will convince east side residents to query their own legislators.